The next resort community on our way bears the name of a prominent Russian painter Ilya Repin who lived here in his manor called 'The Penates' between 1899 and 1930. The estate got its name from the Ancient Roman household gods. In a broad figurative sense, 'Penates' means home. On the territory of Repin's Penates, one can find Homer square, an alley of Pushkin, and a gazebo of Scheherazade. The ground floor of the manor was occupied by a sculpture and art workshop, the first floor was used as living space. Tragically, Repin happened to be on the territory of Finland after the Revolution and decided not to return to the Soviet Russia. He lived here for 30 years and was buried here.
In 1940, a memorial museum was established in Repin's house, but it burnt down completely during the Second World War. The Penates were restored based on the old photos after the war, and the museum began working again in 1962.
At first, this Finnish fishing village was called Kuokkala. According to one of the versions, the name is derived from the word 'kuokku', a fishhook.
In 1889, a railway station was built in Kuokkala. A small Chapel of Transfiguration of Jesus is located to the left of the station. You can see it clearly from the train windows. Kuokkala became a fashionable resort in the early 20th century. This "small piece of foreign land" attracted the elite from Saint Petersburg thanks to its favourable seaside location. Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Leonid Andreyev, and a praised Soviet children's story writer Kornei Chukovsky used to spend their holidays here.
Nowadays, Repino is a popular seaside resort with numerous holiday rentals, hotels, and health retreats.
